See what Glee hath wrought. Thanks to a wildly popular TV show about a much-maligned glee club, millions of people who might never have given a thought to the benefits of music programs in schools have come to see the situation differently. Whether it's a school band program, private instrument lessons, or piano classes, music education in Houston continues to prove itself a significant contributor to the intellectual, social, and psychological development of young people.

Remember Charlie Brown's pal Schroeder, who was always depicted bent over a toy piano upon which he played Beethoven sonatas with remarkable proficiency? Well, it turns out that piano classes can make you smarter. The studies are wide-ranging and extensive, and their conclusions are repeatedly borne out by evidence. Students who are engaged in any kind of music education have better grades, show higher test scores, and are generally academically ahead of their non-musical peers. But you don't need to read a stack of scientific journals to understand why. It takes a tremendous range of skills to play a musical instrument successfully. Just reading music - identifying keys, time signatures, and scales, and recognizing which notes to play at which volume and when - engages several parts of the brain. Add to that the fine motor skills employed in actually performing the instrument, and a young person's mind and body is engaged in a workout that few other activities can replicate.

But band, orchestra, and choral classes don't just enhance a student's intellectual development. There's also data to show that music education offers young people a positive social and emotional environment which can have far-reaching benefits long after the school years. Students enrolled in a music program in Houston are generally far more accepting - even welcoming - of their peers. Ask former marching-band members in Houston about their time in band, and they'll enthusiastically attest to the camaraderie and community they might not have found anywhere else. Community is just one positive aspect of music education. Young musicians also have an opportunity to learn real-world skills that other subjects simply can't teach, from leadership to philanthropy to entrepreneurship.

Today, music education is facing more threats to its existence than perhaps at any time in recent history. A failure to foster Houston's young musicians would have terrible consequences for the culture. So go ahead and sign Johnny up for piano classes in Houston. As it turns out, you'll be helping to build a better future for him - and for everybody else.